Abstract:
Oral immunization of foxes against rabies, by distributing vaccine-baits in the field, has been in progress since 1993 in the whole of the infected area of Belgium (10 000 km²). A vaccinia-rabies recombinant virus (VR-G) was used as vaccine because of its efficacy, safety and heat-stability. The successive campaigns of fox vaccination have induced a drastic decrease in rabies incidence and in 1993 there were no cases of rabies detected in the fox population.
A marked decrease of human post-exposure treatments and the elimination of the disease in domestic animals have been the consequence of fox rabies control.
